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Tejada listed in Mitchell Report

Tejada among names in Mitchell Report

HOUSTON -- Several former Astros players and one current one were named in the Mitchell Report that was released on Thursday afternoon by former Sen. George Mitchell and Major League Baseball.

Miguel Tejada, who was acquired by the Astros from the Orioles on Wednesday, is the only current player on the Astros' 40-man roster to be named in the report. Left-hander Stephen Randolph, a non-roster invitee with an invitation to Spring Training, is also mentioned in the report. He pitched for the Astros in 2007.

Former Astros named by Mitchell include Roger Clemens, Andy Pettitte, Gregg Zaun, Ron Villone, Chris Donnels and Ricky Stone. Clemens is currently an employee of the Astros and plans to begin fulfilling his 10-year personal services contract in 2008.

The Mitchell Report claims that Tejada, while with the Oakland Athletics in 2003, asked teammate Adam Piatt if he had any steroids. "Piatt believed that Tejada asked him because Piatt was in good shape and generally friendly with him," the report states. "Piatt had several conversations with Tejada before a transaction occurred. Piatt admitted he had access to steroids and human growth hormone and agreed to obtain them for Tejada."

Piatt, according to the report, said he provided Tejada with "testosterone or Deca-Durabolin, as well as human growth hormone." Piatt also said he did not know if Tejada actually used the substances.

"Piatt's bank provided two checks deposited into Piatt's account that had been written to him from Miguel Tejada," the report states. "The checks are dated March 21, 2003 and are in the amounts of $3,100 and $3,200 respectively."

Clemens' and Pettitte's former personal trainer, Brian McNamee, told Mitchell's investigative team that he injected Clemens with the steroid Winstrol through the end of the 1998 season and that Clemens' performance "showed remarkable improvement." During the 2000 season, Clemens reportedly went back to McNamee and said he was "ready to use steroids again."

During the latter part of the regular season, McNamee said he injected Clemens "in the buttocks four to six times with testosterone from a bottle labeled either Sustanon 250 or Deca-Durabolin that McNamee had obtained from [Kirk] Radomski [the former Mets clubhouse attendant who is also named in the report]."

Through his attorney, Rusty Hardin, and his agent, Randy Hendricks, Clemens issued an emphatic denial of all allegations in the Mitchell Report.
"Roger Clemens vehemently denies allegations in the Mitchell Report that he used performance-enhancing steroids, and is outraged that his name is included in the report based on the uncorroborated allegations of a troubled man threatened with federal criminal prosecution," Hardin said in a release sent to reporters late Thursday afternoon.

"Roger has been repeatedly tested for these substances and he has never tested positive," Hardin continued. "There has never been one shred of tangible evidence that he ever used these substances, and yet he is being slandered today.

"The use of steroids in sports is a serious problem, it is wrong and it should be stopped. However, I am extremely upset that Roger's name was in this report based on the allegations of a troubled and unreliable witness who only came up with names after being threatened with possible prison time."

Pettitte, according to the report, called McNamee in 2002 while the left-hander was rehabilitating his elbow in Tampa, Fla., and asked the trainer about human growth hormone.

"Pettitte stated that he wanted to speed his recovery and help his team," the report says. "McNamee traveled to Tampa at Pettitte's request and spent about 10 days assisting Pettitte with his rehabilitation. McNamee recalled that he injected Pettitte with human growth hormone that McNamee obtained from Radomski on two to four occasions. Pettitte paid McNamee for the trip and his expenses; there was no separate payment for the human growth hormone."

Hendricks, who also represents Pettitte, issued a statement on the left-hander's behalf.

"I have advised Andy that as an active player, he should refrain from commenting until we have had an opportunity to speak with his union and other advisors," Hendricks said. "At the appropriate time, he will have something to say."

"Now that the Mitchell Report has been released, the Houston Astros are currently reviewing its contents," Astros owner Drayton McLane said in a statement Thursday afternoon. "The Astros support the process that has taken place to compile this report, as well as the recommendations offered by Senator George Mitchell.

"As we move forward, we will continue to strongly support the testing program agreed upon by the Commissioner's Office and the Players Association. We feel this program is an effective step in eradicating the use of performance-enhancing substances, and we continue to support this endeavor 100 percent. We also wish to thank Senator Mitchell for his efforts."

The findings of Mitchell's report concerning use of performance-enhancing drugs in Major League Baseball were released on Thursday.

Several high-profile, superstar-caliber players were among those named in the Mitchell Report, the product of a 21-month, multimillion dollar investigation that could shape decisions, prompt punitive actions against active players, and usher in the next era of the sport.

Clemens, Pettitte, Tejada, Eric Gagne of the Milwaukee Brewers and Paul Lo Duca of the Washington Nationals were among the most prominent former and current All-Stars to be mentioned in the lengthy report, which spans 311 pages, plus multiple exhibits, including evidence of signed checks, handwritten notes and shipping receipts.

The players listed in the paragraph above are by no means the only players listed in the report, but in MLB.com's first, quick review of the document, those names stood out by their notoriety. Coverage will continue minute-by-minute through the course of the proceedings and for the foreseeable future thereafter, but the entire report is available for viewing here at MLB.com.

While the report detailed drug use in baseball by naming those accused, the report also contained 19 separate recommendations for the sport to move forward from this point, proceeding after a culture of steroids and performance enhancement grew exponentially in the late 1990s.

Mitchell's report named both Major League Baseball and the MLB Players Association in assigning blame, charging leadership -- from the Commissioner to club owners and general managers -- for allowing the issue to proliferate.

Alyson Footer is a reporter for MLB.com. This story was not subject to the approval of Major League Baseball or its clubs.